Swab for well-drilling apparatus



Jan. 13,1931.

B. E. PARRIS H SWAB FOR WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed Ju ly 24, 1926 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 A 7' Ton ms Ys.

in rock or casing.

Patented Jan. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES BENJAMIN E. mmmsn, or roar womrn, TEXAS SWAB FOR WELL-DRILLIN G APPARATUS Application filed July 24, 1926. Serial No. 124,611.

This invention relates to improvements in swabs for well-drilling apparatus. Prior to this invention swabs have been used for temporary pumping to remove oil that interferes with the drilling operations, and also to test the well. The ordinary drilling apparatus comprises a string of tools with aremovable bit at the bottom, and the ordinary swab is adapted to interchange with the bit, the latter being removed when the swab is at-' tached to the drilling apparatus. 7

One of the objects of the present invention is to produce a swab adapted to be attached to a drilling apparatus without removing the bit. A further object is to attach and remove the swab without disturbing the arrangement of the string of drilling tools.

Another object is to produce a simple, inexpensive and efficient swab that can be easily and quickly applied to a drilling apparatus. More specifically stated, an object is to provide a swab adapted to surround the drilling cable above the string of tools.

Another object is to produce a swab including yieldable packing at its periphery, and .a novel means whereby the pressure of the column of liquid above the swab is uti lized to force the packing onto the surroundith the'foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the preferred form of the invention, the swab is made of separable sections adapted to surround a part of the drilling apparatus, and these sections are detachably connected together. The sections are preferably segmental with recesses to receive a part of the drilling a paratus between them. To illustrate this eature, I have shown a swab comprising segmental sections surrounding the drilling cable and supported on the rope socket at the top of the string of drilling tools.

Fig. I is a side elevation of a string of drilling tools, showing a swab surrounding the drilling cable to which the tools are secured, and also showing a portion of the well in which the drilling apparatus is located.

Fig. II is a top View of the swab surrounding the drilling cable.

Fig. III is a side elevation showing the swab and a portion of the rope socket on which it is supported.

Fig. IVds a bottom view of the swab.

Fig. V is a section taken approximately on the line V--V in Fig. II, with the drilling cable and rope socket in elevation.

Fig. VI is a section taken approximately on the line VIVI in Fig. II.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary side elevation showing the lapped edges of the packing in the swab.

Fig. VIII is a perspective view illustrating one of the sections of the stuffing box gland adapted for use at the top of the swab.

Fig. IX is a detail viewshowing a U-bolt attached to a drilling cable to prevent upward displacement of the swab.

Fig. X is a fragmentary vertical section, partly in elevation, illustrating another form of the invention.

.To' illustrate the invention I have shown a'stringof drilling tools (Fig. I) comprising a bit 1, a drillingstem 2, drilling jars 3and 4, and a rope socket 5. The bit has a threaded extension 6 at its upper end screwed into the drilling stem 2, the latter having a similar extension 7 screwed'into the lower jar 3, while the upper jar 4 is provided withan extension 8 screwed into the lower end of the rope socket 5. The drilling cable 9 is secured to said socket in any suitable manner.

-The swab shown by Figs. I to VI comprises yieldable packing members 10 having lapped edges at opposite sides of the swab as shown at 11 in Figs. II and VII. These packing members are made of segmental sections united to surround the drilling cable 9, and their outer faces form the periphery of the swab. p

The packing holder is also made of segmental sections adapted to receive the drilling cable between them. It comprises a pair of semicircular supporting sections 12 located below the packing 10 and having flanges 13 at their meeting edges (Figs. IV, V and VII), these flanges being curved as shown at 14 in Fig. IV to form semicircular recesses which receive the cable 9. Each section 12 is also provided with a reinforcing flange 15 extending from its curved portion 14 to its outer edge. The pair of sections 12 are detachably connected together, by means of eyebolts 16 (Figs. III, IV and V) pivoted to ears 17 on the flange 13 of one of said sections, and provided with wing nuts 18 adapted to engage the flange 13 of the other section, the flanges being notched at their lower edges to receive the eyebolts 16. The threaded ends of the eyebolts 16 may be enlarged as shown in Fig. IV to prevent removal of the nuts 18.

The semicircular sections 12 are thus united to form a circular supporting member around the cable 9, and they are detachably connected together by means of the eyebolts 16 and other elements to be hereafter described. These sections 12 rest upon the top of the rope socket 5, as shown in Figs. I and III, and this socket prevents downward displacement of the swab.

The packing holder also includes an up- 7 per pair of semicircular sections 19 located above the packing 10. These upper sections are similar to the lower sections 12. They are provided with vertical flanges 20 at their meeting edges, and also with reinforcing flanges 21. Eyebolts 22 are mounted in notches at the upper edges of the flanges 20 to detachably connect the upper sections 19, as shown in Figs. II, III and V. The curved middle portions 23 of the flanges 20 form recesses to receive the cable 9, and the upper ends of these recesses may be enlarged as shown most clearly at 24 in Fig. V to form a stuffing box containing packing 25. A sectional gland for this stufling box may be made of two sections 26, one of which is clearly shown in Fig. VIII. The gland sections may be exactly alike, each having a dowel pin 27 and a hole 28 to receive the pin on the other section. When the gland sections are united they can be screwed into the stufling box, each section having screw threads registerin with threads on the other section.

The swab comprises numerous segmental sections adapted to form a circular swab around a portion of the drilling apparatus, and while all of the sections are removable, the sections forming each half of the swab are preferably connected together, so as to form two halves that can be easily and quickly assembled. Attention is therefore directed to the vertical connecting bolts 29 passing through the upper and lower sections 19 and.

12 and also through the interposed packing sections 10. The various semicircular sections on each side of the cable 9 are thus connected together to form two approximately semicircular units, and these two units are detachably connected together by means of the bolts 16 and 22, so it is only necessary to assemble two units in placing the swab around the drilling apparatus.

After the swab is formed, the gland sections 26 may be screwed into the stufling box, and a retaining device is then secured to the cable 9 at a point immediately above the gland to prevent upward displacement of the swab. The retaining device shown in Figs. III, V, and IX comprises a U-bolt 30 embracing the cable and extending through a bar 31 which is engaged by nuts on the ends of the U-bolt.

As shown by Figs. II, IV and VI, vertical tubes 32 may be integrally secured to the upper sections 1.9 to provide for the flow of liquid through the swab. These tubes extend downwardly through the packing 10 and' their lower ends are loosely arranged in the lower sections 12. Any suitable check valves may be employed to prevent return of liquid through the tubes, and to illustrate this feature I have shown flap valves 33 (Figs II and VI) arranged over the tubes 32 and pivoted at 34 to the upper sections 19.

When the drilling apparatus is elevated to lift a column of liquid, the weight of the liquid is supported by the upper sections 19 and the resultant pressure is transmitted through the interposed packing to the lower sections 12 which rest upon the rope socket 5. The pressure is thus transmitted to the yielding packing with the result of forcing its peripheral face into firm contact with the material around the swab. In this connection it will be noted that the upper sections 19 are movable downwardly relative to the lower sections 12, for the vertical bolts 29 and the vertical tubes 32 do not prevent such.

downward motion.

As shown in Figs. III and V, the outer edges of the flanges 20 are inclined downwardly toward the periphery of the swab to serve as deflectors whereby the swab is centered in passing an obstruction, such as the end of a casing in the well. For a similar reason, the outer edges of the flanges 13 are curved, as shown in Fig. III.

In Fig. X I have shown another form of. the invention. In this form the tubes 32 are omitted and the check valve 35 is carried by the lower section 12, the upper section 19' having an opening 36 through which the liquid is transmitted. The packing elements 10' form the outer wall of a chamber between the upper and lower sections, so the pressure of the liquid above the check valve 35 acts gasket 37 is interposed between the bottom of the swab and the top of the rope socket.

I claim:

1.' In a swab for well-drilling apparatus,

a plurality of swab sections adapted to sur ing elements, one of said segmental sections being provided with a check valve.

2. In a swab for well-drilling apparatus, a plurality of swab sections adapted to surround a part of the drilling apparatus, and means whereby said sections are detachably connected together, said swab sections including segmental packing sections adapted to surround said part of the drilling apparatus and a segmental packing holder comprising segmental sections above and below the packing sections, each of said sections being recessed to receive said part of the drilling apparatus, and one of said segmental sections being provided with a check valve.

3. In aswab for well-drilling apparatus, a packing holder comprising pairs of, segmental sections and packing held thereby to form a swab around a portion of the drilling apparatus, said segmental sections including a pair of members having mating flanges adapted to lie at opposite sides of said portion, and means whereby said flanges are detachably connected together.

4. In a swab for well-drilling apparatus, a packing holder comprising a plurality of segmental'sections, and packing confined by said sections to form a swab around a portion of the drilling apparatus, said segmental sections including approximately semicircular members arranged in pairs above and below said packing and adapted to lie at opposite sides of said portion, said semicircular members being provided with flanges at their adjacent edges, and bolts connecting 'said flanges.

5. In a swab for well-drilling apparatus, a packing holder comprising (pans of segmenq tal sections and packing he thereby to form a swab'around a portion of the drilling apparatus, said segmental sections including a pair of members having mating flanges adapted to lie at opposite sides of said-portion, and means whereby said flanges are .detachably connected together, said flanges havin inclined edges a jacent to the periphcry 0 the swab serving as deflectors to center the swab in the well.

6. A swab for well drilling apparatus,

comprising similar sections, each composed of a plurality of superposed segmental pack ing members, the members of each section be ing arranged to abut the edges of the corresponding member of the other section, and

to lap the meeting edges of the adjacent members, one of the sections having a passage for liquid and a check valve in connection with the passage.

7. A sectional swab for connection. with the cable of well drilling apparatus, composed of similar segmental sections having registering recesses .on their meeting faces of a size to fit and to receive the cable, and means to secure the sections together on the cable, each section including rigidholders and packing members between the holders and extending outwardly beyond the holders.

8. A swab for attachment to a well-drilling cable above the drilling tools and including complementary sections carrying marginal packings, each section having upper and lower adjacent projections, and fastenings engaging the projections for removably mounting the sections around a cable.

9. In a well swab, a pair of complementary I sections adapted to engage around a well cable, each section comprising top and bottom members provided with projections, packing elements secured between the members and having their outer edges exposed, and clamping elements engaging the projections.

10. A swab adapted to be removably engaged with a well cable and including a pair of complementarysections, each having a central vertical recess for directly receiving a cable, segmental packings carried by the sections, contacting elements on the top and bottom of said sections, and clamps engaging the elements for detachably securing the sections on a cable, said sections being movable radially from each other upon release of said clamps.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aflix my signature.

BENJAMIN E. PARRISH. 

